Understanding food literacy from perceptions of young Canadian adults: A qualitative study

The purpose of this qualitative, grounded theory study was to explore the concept of food literacy as it relates to well-being from the perspective of young Canadian adults who recently transitioned to independent living. Seventeen individual, interviews were conducted with Canadian university stude...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Colatruglio, Sarah
Other Authors: Slater, Joyce (Human Nutritional Sciences)
Published: 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1993/30169
Description
Summary:The purpose of this qualitative, grounded theory study was to explore the concept of food literacy as it relates to well-being from the perspective of young Canadian adults who recently transitioned to independent living. Seventeen individual, interviews were conducted with Canadian university students. Results suggest that while young adults value “healthy” eating, they are at risk for leaving their family homes lacking necessary food literacy required to make healthy food choices, sustain healthy food relationships and be well. Results suggest that significant challenges exist with regard to acquiring/utilizing food literacy, which appear to influence food choices, health and well-being. Findings indicate that young adults could benefit from expanding their views on food to encompass cultural and environmental knowledge. This thesis adds value to the existing literature by exploring the components of food literacy and connections to well-being.